1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to flexible mirror devices. More specifically, this invention relates to a flexible mirror device which provides a modified reflection of the body of a person.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
One of the main difficulties experienced by a person having a weight problem is the development of a sufficient desire to lose weight. Although an overweight person may read about the health hazards associated with obesity, the mere reading about such dangers or seeing others who have well proportioned figures is oftentimes insufficient to persuade the person to undergo the rigors of a controlled diet.
However, if the same person were able to see himself as he appears to others and then within seconds see himself as he would appear after losing 15 to 20 pounds, the visual representation of himself as he would be after the weight loss would provide the required stimulus to that person to continue a determined effort to persevere with a diet plan.
The present invention seeks to provide such a stimulus by the provision of a flexible mirror, the curvature of which can be progressively changed to provide a modified reflection of the body of a person standing in front of the mirror.
Although in the prior art various proposals have been made to provide mirrors that produce distorted reflections of the body of a person standing in front of the mirror, none of the prior art devices have provided a visual representation that accurately portrays the desired proportions in a realistic manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,445,157 to R. Zilter discloses a hand operated distorting toy mirror. The mirror curvature is increased or decreased in order to make a person standing in front of the device appear fat or thin, tall or short.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,004,472 to D. E. Buxton teaches a flexible mirror supported at opposite edges thereof and curved outwardly by means of a roller supported by an adjustable rocker arm.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,832,039 to M. A. Doolittle describes a flexible mirror having an upper portion which remains substantially planar and a lower portion, the curvature of which is controllably varied. Unfortunately, the device of U.S. Pat. No. 3,832,039 fails to provide a realistic representation of the body of a person as it would appear after the necessary weight loss. This failure results largely from the fact that, when a person diets, weight is lost not only from the neck downwards, but also from the face. U.S. Pat. No. 3,832,039 provides an unrealistic representation because although the portion of the body from the neck downwards is made to appear thinner, the representation of the head remains substantially constant.
The present invention overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art device by the provision of a flexible mirror device which provides a differential change in curvature of the mirror along the length thereof. Such differential change in curvature results in a representation showing weight loss from the facial region as well as the rest of the body of a person. It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a flexible mirror device that overcomes the inadequacies of the prior art devices and provides an improvement which significantly contributes to the realistic representation of the desired proportions of the body of a person standing in front of the mirror.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a flexible mirror device having a differential change in curvature of the mirror along the length thereof.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a flexible mirror device which provides a modified reflection of the body of a person, the portion of the mirror reflecting the head of the person having a curvature that is different from the curvature of that portion of the mirror reflecting the rest of the body of the person.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a transverse shaft rotatably mounted within frame members such that rotation of the transverse shaft rotates cams disposed adjacent the respective ends of the shaft to change the curvature of the mirror.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a first electric motor drivingly connected to the transverse shaft, the motor being controlled remotely from a control box electrically connected to the motor.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a radio control means for controlling the electric motor and the curvature of the mirror.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a micro switch means which cooperates with a transverse shaft collar, the switch being electrically connected to a display device disposed on the mirror, the display device displaying the amount of curvature of the mirror.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a longitudinal shaft and a hook carriage threadably engaging the longitudinal shaft such that rotation of the longitudinal shaft results in relative movement between the hook carriage and the longitudinal shaft for elevating or lowering the flexible mirror device.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a second electric motor drivingly connected to the longitudinal shaft.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a control box disposed remote from the mirror device, the control box functioning to remotely control the elevating or lowering of the mirror device.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a flexible transverse frame means extending between the first and the second frame members for flexibly supporting the mirror in the vicinity of the upper frame member.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a flexible mirror which includes an upper, a lower and an intermediate mirror portion and a supporting frame disposed around and adjacent to the flexible mirror. The mirror is supported relative the frame adjacent each corner of the mirror and the variation in curvature of the mirror about the longitudinal axis thereof is greater in the vicinity of the intermediate mirror portion than in the vicinity of the upper or lower mirror portions, respectively.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed as being merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Particularly with regard to the use of the invention disclosed herein, this should not be construed as being limited to flexible mirror devices for use in health spas and weight loss clinics, but should include flexible mirror devices for modifying the reflection of the body of any person standing in front of the mirror.